Prince's studio version of 'Nothing Compares 2 U' proves the artist is incomparable

The prosecutor in the Minnesota county where Prince died said that no criminal charges will be filed in the musician's death, effectively ending the state's two-year investigation into how Prince got the fentanyl that killed him. (April 19)
AP

Prince's estate and Warner Bros. Records released the original studio version of Nothing Compares 2 U on YouTube Thursday, played over previously unseen stunning rehearsal footage from Prince & The Revolution in 1984.

Prince's song was, of course, recorded by Sinéad O'Connor and became a worldwide hit in 1990.

The song was originally composed, arranged and performed entirely by Prince (with backing vocals by Susannah Melvoin and Paul "St. Paul" Peterson and saxophone by Eric Leeds on the original track), according to music publication Billboard.

Billboard quoted Michael Howe, Prince expert and official vault archivist for the Prince estate, who uncovered the reel of the song.

"After retrieving my jaw from the floor, we took the reel upstairs (and) analyzed it," said Howe, who found it, even in rough form, to be "compelling enough to indicate that this was something very special indeed.".

With the cultural impact of Nothing Compares 2 U, "hearing the song in its original context performed in its entirety by the author makes it particularly noteworthy," said Howe.